CTbites Invites is back from summer break with an exciting lineup of insider culinary events and food experiences including Wine Dinners, Cooking Classes, and themed dining events at Napa & Co, Chocopologie, Brasitas, Bernard's, Nicholas Roberts Gourmet Bistro, and SoNo Baking Company. Keep a eye out for these happening in the next few months.
For those not yet familiar with our Invites series, CTbites partners with chefs and restaurants all over Fairfielld County (and beyond) to bring our readers innovative culinary-minded events, with behind-the-scenes access and exclusive experiences on some of the most interesting culinary happenings in the region. This past year we hosted over 40 Invites with over 1000 “foodie” attendees! We believe life is too short for bad food.
As you enter Dressing Room, it is the perfect combination of elegance and charm that attracts you. When you sit down, it is the warmth that settles you in. After you have eaten, it is the substance and quality that relaxes you into a food inspired ‘coma.’ Once you have left, it is the overall magnanimity of the Dressing Room restaurant that will entice you back.
Recently, CT Bites sponsored an event at the Dressing Room, known as “Happy Hour on the DR Patio.” The evening was used to promote that which head chef/owner Michel Nischan has set as his restaurants overarching ideal, comfort. From the specialty cocktails, to the stunningly made hors d’oeuvres, this is the type of happy hour that I would be a regular at.
Fresh from a research trip throughout the vineyards of the Italian countryside, Rizzuto's Restaurant and Bar owner Bill Rizzuto will host an all-inclusive 6-course Italian Wine Dinner on Monday, June 25 from 7 to 9 pm for $55 at Rizzutos's newest location in Stamford. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
CTbites readers are invited to share in this playful multi-course Italian meal paired with wine varietals of the Donnachiara Winery in Avellino, Italy.
The 6-course menu begins with Rizzuto's signature antipasti reception. The following courses include a yellow fin tuna crudo, asparagus panna cotta with crispy fried rock shrimp and black truffle vinaigrette, followed by an artichoke confit ravioli, and a 24-hour braised lamb, fresh mint, English peas, and oven-roasted tomatoes. Finishing the savory with a main course of grilled veal sirloin, with sheep's milk ricotta roman "gnocchi," and braised cavolo nero with rosemary fig jus.
Join CTbites and Chef John Holzwarth on Tuesday June 19th 7:30 to 9:30 pm for an intimate evening at The Boathouse at Saugatuck. Chef Holzwarth has carefully selected a 4 course summer menu celebrating beautful fresh (always local) seafood. Each course will be carefully paired with wine selections from the Loire Valley. This dinner is $80 pp.Reserve Your Seat HERE.
Here is the menu for this special event:
Local oysters two ways, roasted & raw, paired with a crisp Muscadet
Home Made Lobster Ravioli, Lobster Jus, Favas and Fines Herbes, paired with a refreshing Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
Main course will feature fresh and creatively prepared Market fish ( to be selected day of event based on local availability), Salad of Frisee, Citrus, and Shellfish paired with seasonal rose Vouvray or Anjou Blancs
Blue Lemon chef Bryan Malcarney can clean, prep and sear a baby squid in just under 10 minutes, all while making small talk with a patio full of hungry diners. In fact, he makes it look pretty easy.
“That’s my job,” the affable chef joked to a lunch crowd last week at a cooking demo organized by CTBites. The lattice and flower enclosed patio was packed with avocational foodies who had jumped at the chance to learn from one of the area’s most established chefs through the CTBites Invites program, which has regular offerings to take people behind the scenes in some of Fairfield County’s most respected kitchens.
Festivities, one of Fairfield county’s premier catering companies for over 28 years will be “popping up” with their signature, hand-made party food- Party Express at the Wilton Farmers’ Market. Opening day is Wednesday, May 30 from 2-6 p.m. and running each Wednesday through September 12th.
Party Express at The Wilton Farmer’s Market offers freshly made party foods featuring the harvest from local farms. The rotating menu includes a wide range of delicious foods from “Snacks For Beach & Patio” to “Bento Box Meals To Go” to ‘Legacy Foods” borrowing world flavors from our families of origin. Also offered are weekly vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free alternatives. Executive Chef/Co-Owner, Bill Kaliff is particularly excited to be expanding his menu to showcase “legacy foods” while incorporating Connecticut Grown whenever possible.
The 3rd annual "Farm 2 Fork" dinner series will officially begin on Wenesday, June 20th at Millstone Farm, 180 Millstone Rd., Wilton, CT. Those of you who have enjoyed these wonderful communal dining experiences in the past, are likely already drafting that email for reservations. For newbies, here's what to expect. A tour of the beautiful 75 acre Millstone Farm will begin at 6:00PM followed by a pristinely farm fresh, family style dinner beginning at 7:00PM. The cost is $100. per person with a featured wine. BYOB is welcome. Tax & gratuity is excluded.
Join CTbites & Blue Lemon chef/owner, Bryan Malcarney, for a cooking demo and lunch on the beautiful patio in Sconset Square, Westport. For easy scheduling, we've got two dates from which to choose; Thursday May 17 or Friday May 18 from 11:30- 1 pm. Reserve Your Seat Now.
This three course lunch will include:
Golden beet gazpacho; Chef Bryan's award winning grilled baby squid (complete with recipe demo) over arugula & endive salad with bleu cheese, celeriac, caramelized walnuts and cider vinaigrette...voted Best by Connecticut Magazine!
Millstone Farm has just announced a few more workshops going on at their beautiful 75-acre working farm in Wilton, CT. For those unfamiliar with Millstone, heir focus is on rebuilding our food community through small scale agriculture, educational activities, and events. Millstone raises pastured heirloom breed sheep, pigs, and poultry, and grow vegetables for their CSA, local chefs, and family owned markets. They do wonderful events and workshops with top chefs and guest speakers. Here is the spring lineup including "Backyard Composting" and "Foraging & Cooking with Wild Edibles."
“The goal of this evening is so you will dare to order a glass of wine next time you dine at a restaurant.” Those were the words of Coromandel’s managing partner, chef, and jack of all trades, Gopi Nair at the latest CTBites Invites event where Indian cuisine was paired with wines from around the world.
But wine with Indian food? It is possible. Apparently wine was popular among Indians thousands of years ago but as time passed the country became integrated which resulted in wine becoming all but obsolete. Nair explained to the dining room of food fanatics that he did not grow up pairing wine with food but people should not stray from marrying the two. “You can come to an Indian restaurant and order wine,” Nair said. “You don’t have to order beer or a martini.”
It must have been good karma to take over the former Wave Hill bread kitchen in Wilton, because the AMG Cooking School, which opened it’s doors in July, has truly found the right ingredients for success.
Alison Milwe-Grace and her partner, Olivia Savarese, are not new to cooking having run a catering and event planning business for years. When the professional kitchen space at the old Wave Hill Breads came on the market, they saw an opportunity and jumped at the chance to open a cooking school. They have been hosting both adult and kids classes ever since.
The good friends added their own personal touch to the space. Gone are the wooden bread racks and flour dusted floors. A cozy candlelit living room and dining area serves as the entrance, while the kitchen features a huge work area complete with famous chef quotes on chalkboards to serve as inspiration.
Helton DaSilva knows how to work a room. The 26 year-old native of Brazil is currently the Executive Chef at Barcelona in Fairfield, but his talents expand beyond the kitchen. Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of watching him in action, courtesy of CTBites Invites.
It was a chef demo and lunch, and the ladies who were lunching met Chef Helton’s enthusiasm and raised a flirt or two. “Are you married?” one woman ventured after the chef had introduced himself, much to the tittering pleasure of the crowd.
And this was before sangria was served.
The demo lunch was a mix of insider tips and delicious dishes with more than a dash of Chef Helton’s charm thrown in.
Join Coromandel SoNo's Gopi Nair for anexclusive dinner and wine pairing, hand crafted for CTbites Invites. Gopi will be our "gastronomic host" for a unique 3 course dinner on Thursday March 22 from 7-9:30 pm.
The evening will begin at the bar with appetizers and wine, followed by a sit down dinner with innovative and authentic Indian cuisine. Gopi will explain the preparation and history behind each dish and will select wines to enhance the meal's flavors and spices.
This CTbites Invites event is $65 per person and promises to leave you knowledgeable and appreciative of fine Indian cuisine and wine.
The Schoolhouse at Cannondale had several requests to again offer thier "Pig Carving 101"Saturday afternoon class at the Millstone Farm in Wilton, Ct. Tim LaBant, Chef & owner of The Schoolhouse will guide you from begining to end on how to successfully carve a full pig, the benefits of different cuts & how to best prepare and cook these cuts. A rustic and seasonal farm to fork lunch will be available throughout the event. Soft drinks will be available or feel free to BYOB for sharing or swapping.
The event is Saturday, March 17 from 12:00PM to 2:00PM at the Millstone Farm, 180 Millstone Rd., Wilton, Ct. It's priced at $45. per person, excluding tax & gratuity. Please make reservations by calling 1-203-571-8990 or email them at rthorpe@schoolhouse.com before March 12. Because of limited space they request reservations be guaranteed with payment at time of booking.
Join Fritz Knipschildt of Chocopologie, and CTbites on March 13as we indulge the master chocolatier and chef in realizing his vision for a perfectly decadent meal. Inspired by Valentines Day, this intimate dinner will feature five courses infused and/or influenced by Fritz's passion for chocolate. Each course will be paired with wine or spirits and will conclude with a tour of his SoNo chocolate factory.
This just in from The Fairfield Green Food Guide: Millstone Farm's spring workshops series has been announced. These events range from Pig Carving 101 with Chef Tim LaBant of The Schoolhouse to Raising Backyard Chickens with Millstone’s Master Farmer, Annie Farrell. You'll want to check these out.
Pig Carving 101
Saturday, March 17: 12pm – 2pm
Tim LaBant, Chef and owner of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale Restaurant provides a comprehensive how-to on carving a full pig. We’ll also discuss benefits of the different cuts of meat, and how best to prep and cook them.
Looking for some new cooking tips to expand your repertoire, or do you just love to eat? Join Executive Chef Helton DaSilva of Barcelona Restaurant and Wine Bar in Fairfield for a one hour cooking demonstration followed by a 3 course tasting lunchfeaturing: escarole with marinated white beans and sherry/bacon fat dressing, pan seared scallops with Meyer lemon sauce and applewood smoked bacon and roasted quail with arrope and figs.
Bring a friend and enjoy Barcelona's famed sangria while Chef Helton leads you through a taste of Spain.
Demo begins at 11:00 am followed by lunch at 12 Noon. CLICK HERE for more information.
“What’s a nice Greek girl like you doing running a place like this?” I ask Maria Pertesis, who with her mother Katrina, has just opened Cactus Rose, a vibrant new Southwestern themed cantina in Wilton. “My family has owned a Greek diner in Fairfield for almost 40 years,” she offers. “So my mother and I wanted to try something new and exciting.”
And that’s exactly what these amazing women have wrought. Under their husbandry, the former Mediterranean Grill in the Wilton Center has blossomed into a fun-filled, warm, and welcoming hacienda. Indeed, the restaurant came up almost overnight, as if itself a desert flower.
BBQ has achieved cult status in America. Like any fervent belief, splinter factions have arisen. Most people think of the tomato-based variety found in Kansas City and the deep south as "BBQ sauce," but adherents to the Memphis dry-rub sect or acolytes of the vinegar or mustard based churches of North and South Carolina will defend their take on slow smoked spirituality with manic passion. These churches and their branch faiths march under myriad banners, but they can all sit together at the same table and play nice under any tent serving beer. "Harmonious variety" would be an apt descriptor for the latest CTBites Invites event on Jan 12 at Bobby Q's in Westport.
Bobby Q's Barbeque & Grill is the creation of owner Bob LeRose, who partnered with Greg Zanella of Northeast Beverage Corp., one of the area's largest microbrew distributors to enhance four courses of beautifully prepared BBQ dishes and a final chocolate course with expertly paired craft brews.
